LP Color in Quarter Horses

Quarter Horses with Appaloosa color... ?

First, it is important to understand that there were no horses in North America before explorers brought them here.

The breeds developed in North America (AQHA, APHA and Appaloosa, to name a few) all share a common gene pool - comprised of Spanish and European origin horses.

The LP gene (leopard complex) as well as all other PATN (pattern) genes in our North American breeds were imported here, along with those horses. The Appaloosa breed is NOT the origin of the LP gene. They have merely selected towards it, while others have selected away from it.

There are some people who believe that every AQHA pedigreed horse that exhibits LP must have either 1) a fabricated pedigree, or 2) that some Quarter Horse in the pedigree was "incorrectly registered" as AQHA when it should have been credited to the Appaloosa. Indeed, in the early years of the AQHA there were LP colored horses born ... barred from AQHA registry and subsequently registered in the ApHC as Appaloosa. In some cases the pedigree was examined and found to trace to a mare called 'the Old Blue Mare' who pre-dated the Registries. The Old Blue mare was a roan, unregistered broodmare born in the early 1900's originating from the Coke Roberds breeding program (owner of Peter McCue and Old Fred). She can be found in AQHA pedigrees like Obvious Conclusion and Kid Clu, and in foundation Appaloosa stallions Peavy Bimbo, Wapiti, etc. It is an accepted fact that AQHA Hall of Fame breeder Coke Roberds utilized a spotted/blanketed stallion he called "A-Rab" in his early breeding program, and later bred "A-Rab" daughters to Primero, Peter McCue and Old Fred, etc. These various matings gave rise to the Old Blue Mare, another roan mare named Blue Vitriol (dam of ApHC Hall of Fame Joker B) and also to a mare named Plaudette born in 1939, sired by a TB stallion named King Plaudit and out of a Coke Roberds mare. According to leading researchers, Plaudette and Blue Vitriol are not descendants of the Old Blue Mare - but rather represent different Coke Roberds female lines going to "A-Rab". These early Roberds mares were never registered .. and we can see today numerous great AQHA lines tracing back to unregistered "Roberds mares". In fact, Plaudette is the dam of AQHA Hall of Fame running mare Maddons Bright Eyes.... and also dam of ApHC Hall of Fame stallion Bright Eyes Brother. Plaudette was herself never registered, as she had both appaloosa and paint color characteristics ... but she produced noteable registered AQHA, ApHC and APHA offspring.

Plaudette, Blue Vitriol and the Old Blue Mare are examples of three different Coke Roberds pedigree lines that produced LP color early on, and were therefore recognized as tracing back to the LP carrier "A-Rab". These mares produced registered AQHA and registered ApHC horses in subsequent generations - some solid, and a few with noticeable LP. But what about other unregistered "Roberds mares" ? Could they have traced to "A-Rab" ? Could they have carried LP that was 'not so noticeable' ? It is entirely possible.

LP Expression

Color genetic research indicates that the LP (leopard complex) gene is necessary to produce an appaloosa type "spotted" pattern.

However, there must also be some type of PATN (pattern) gene present for the LP gene to modify, and give rise to a spotted pattern.

In the absence of a PATN gene, LP alone may be virtually un-noticeable, as late roaning / small amount of mottled skin.... in other words, no noticeable "appaloosa style" pattern such as a white blanket or leopard spots. The LP roaning is quite different than "classic roan" often seen in AQHA. The classic roan will be born that way, while LP roan can and often does develop later in life, and is progressive.

PATN genes alone (and there are many) without LP to "light them up", will not produce appaloosa type spotting.

Horses with only LP and no PATN gene can be born solid, with no characteristics (mottled skin, striped hooves or sclera). Eventually the LP gene will cause, at the very least, some small amount of roaning to occur - but it may be years before that happens. Who would notice a few white hairs developing on their 12 year old AQHA mare and consider it to be an appaloosa trait ? Mottled skin can also develop later in life and can be so limited that it goes un-noticed (like a few freckles between the teats on a mare, for example.)

There are modifier genes that supress white, as well. The AQHA - due to their long standing selection toward solid color - have very likely also been unknowingly selecting toward these types of supressing modifier genes.... and possibly hiding LP even better.

A late-mild-roaning LP horse would probably produce another late-mild-roaning horse when only the LP gene was transmitted ... so it is easy to see how the LP gene can be carried forward un-noticed, even through many generations.... until that LP gene meets up with the right PATN gene.

When LP (even late-mild-roaning LP) meets the right PATN gene - and probably in the absence of supression genes - suddenly a very visible expression of LP can occur.

The example of the Coke Roberds "A-Rab" lines of LP horses is given because it is of historical record that he used the spotted blanket LP stallion and at least three different mare lines did, in subsequent generations, carry the gene forward in what were initially considered AQHA pedigrees. [see chart below] These 3 lines produced exceptional horses in 3 different registries: AQHA, ApHA and ApHC - bringing public attention to the pedigrees involved. But, there were many other "Roberds mares" who did not have their backgrounds micro-investigated ... and a noted pedigree researcher tells us of an interview with a long term member of Coke Roberds staff during those early years that said basically every mare would, at some point in her life, produce at least one LP colored foal. He also reported that the noted Roberds bred AQHA stallion "Buck Thomas" had a full sister born chestnut with a white blanket & spots. Buck Thomas was sired by Peter McCue and out of an unregistered mare named "Stockings" by Old Fred out of a Primero daughter, but with no further record of the female side. There are no records to confirm or deny that she traced to "A-Rab".... but we know that Roberds used Primero on the "A-Rab" daughters.

However, other early AQHA breeders also had access to the LP gene through the common use of 'Spanish mustang' mares with blooded stallions. (It is generally accepted that the Spanish mustang is the origin of LP color in the Nez Perce Appaloosa.) Many Texas borderland ranches routinely used 'Spanish mustang' mares as base stock in the early years .... but no "named horse" or "pedigree" was credited with producing LP color because such an animal would not be eligible for much sought after AQHA registration papers.

In 1957 a spotted blanketed colt was born named Colida - who became a leading registered ApHC Hall of Fame stallion. His dam was a registered AQHA mare named Lady Chesty - and his sire has always been officially listed as "unknown". As the story goes, the sire was in reality a registered AQHA stallion of some note, but his owners were able to silence those involved and the true identity of the stallion was never revealed. This is a prime example of the reluctance amongst AQHA breeders to admit that their horse or their pedigrees may carry 'appaloosa' blood. However, the LP gene did and still does become visible in AQHA horses ...

We have heard Appaloosa breeders say that AQHA horses like Kid Clu, Obvious Conclusion and Maddons Bright Eyes should be called "Appaloosa" because pedigree research shows they trace to a 'named horse' that the ApHC considers to be Appaloosa (though unregistered) because he carried the LP gene. How many other AQHA lines have potential to carry LP but do not trace to a "named horse" with LP, or the pedigree was never deeply researched ? Time will tell.

As for the idea of "fabricated pedigrees" - it seems very unusual that these AQHA horses which are suddenly expressing LP today invariably have common ancestry back to either the Coke Roberds program or to noteable borderland ranches that utilized "Spanish mustang' mares, and usually to both.

Old Blue Mare - born approx. 1918 - 1920 unreg. roan	Bob H.	Old Fred	Black Ball
			Mare by John Crowder
		Queen Litz (TB)



	Roberds Mare (color?)	Primero	Leadville (TB)
			Race Mare
		Roberds Mare (color?)	A-Rab - LP carrier
			Steel Dust Mare

Blue Vitriol - born approx. 1931 unreg. roan	Brown Dick	Derring Doe (TB)	Desmond (TB)
			Action (TB)
		mare by Labold (TB)	Labold (TB)
			mare by Primero (Coke Roberds breeding)
	Leopard (color?)	Old Fred	Black Ball
			Mare by John Crowder
		Roberds Mare (color?)	Primero
			Roberds Mare (color?)

Plaudette - born 1939 unreg. with both LP and Paint coloration	King Plaudit (TB)	Plaudit (TB)	Himyar (TB)
			Cinderella (TB)
		Wild Thistle (TB)	Knight of the Thistle (TB)
			Galliard (TB)
	Roberds Mare (color?)	Peter McCue	Dan Tucker
			Nora M
		Roberds Mare (color?)	Old Fred
			Mare by A-Rab (color?) - sire was known LP carrier

Be watching for updates ....

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